There are not many RC races that are bigger, do it better, and have the intensity like The Dirt Nitro Challenge. This year was special as it marked the 20th Annual of the biggest nitro race on US soil and this year didn’t disappoint… not one bit. Almost every manufacturer sent drivers to this race making the atmosphere very much like a Worlds competition with numerous drivers traveling from all across Europe to join in on the action. The race has become legendary!
With the delayed start b/c of the rain, we caught up with Ryan Maifield on his changes for 2019 and why he thinks the DNC is so special. Check out this in-depth interview with MANS himself! #gojconcepts
Posted by JConcepts Inc on Thursday, February 21, 2019
This year, we had it all. From freezing cold temps, high winds, rain delays, and eventually sunshine, mother nature played a dramatic part, but as we all know this is nothing new for an outdoor race. What was different this year was the location and venue as the DNC was relocated after news broke last year that Fear Farm was shutting down. Now, located at the Perris, California’s Southern California Fair Grounds, there’s a new look to the DNC but still consisted of the same awesome racing vibes that its well known for.
Joey Christensen and The Dirt crew are on top of the game. They’ve got the reputation, they’ve got the skills, and they know how to put on a good show. Despite the tough weather conditions when building the track, Joey decided to move to plan B and built the 1/8th scale track where the 1/5th scale was originally planned to go since the 1/8th track was basically underwater.
The decision proved to make all the difference in the world as the track was completed just in time for open practice Wednesday morning. The end result was a fantastic layout that had a good amount of jumps with many difficult elements to challenge all drivers including the best in the world. What makes the DNC so special is how the track evolves throughout the event as Joey only fixes jump faces after each day. For the most part, the holes, ruts, and bumps in corners are usually left alone making it harder on the drivers to be pinpoint accurate and consistent. This is where the word challenge in Dirt Nitro Challenge comes in making it one of the most difficult, grueling races we have in RC.